Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

US Type 1 Fencing Bayonet Made From Whale Tooth (Baleen)

August 14, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

In 1852-53, the Watervliet Arsenal in New York produced 1,500 fencing bayonets for the West Point Academy. These were made for practicing bayonet fencing with live opponents without risk of injury. They were comprised of […]

Road to Finnish Brutality 2026: My Guns & Kit

August 13, 2026 Ian McCollum 2

Tune in to watch Finnish Brutality 2026 live for free this weekend, August 15/16: https://twitch.tv/varusteleka https://varusteleka.com/en/blogs/events/finnish-brutality This year for Finnish Brutality I am shooting in Armored division, with a 7.62x39mm Stenzel SAK-21 as my rifle […]

The FAMASenning: All the FAMAS from Airsoft to Centerfire

August 12, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

The military FAMAS has spawned several clones, and we are taking a look at each one of them today. First up is the Cybergun AEG airsoft FAMAS – a normal commercial production piece, but this […]

Tiger Stripe Camouflage Pattern Book

August 11, 2026 Ian McCollum 0

The tiger stripe pattern book is now available as an add-on item: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=1n4exq This color swatch style reference tool has about 180 different tiger stripe and related camouflage patterns, for awesome handy reference! Now available […]

FNA Brescia’s Last Project: The X4 and X5 SMG and Machine Pistol

August 10, 2026 Ian McCollum 7

FNA (Fabbrica Nazionale d’Armi) Brescia was a factory in the Val Trompia in northern Italy, the same valley that is home to Beretta and many other, smaller Italian arms shops. During World War Two the […]

CZ75 Legend: A Reissue of the Iconic Original Short-Frame CZ75 (BUG Match & Comparison)

August 8, 2026 Ian McCollum 5

“Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” available now on Kickstarter with lots of extras: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=au6p35 CZ has started shipping the CZ75 Legend, a reissue of the original short frame CZ75 pistol. This was the first […]

Tour: Greek War Museum in Athens (Lots of Guns!)

August 7, 2026 Ian McCollum 11

I had a chance to stop in the War Museum in Athens, and really enjoyed the visit. There are a lot more firearms on display than I expected, covering the whole gamut from muzzleloaders to […]

From Hartford to Vietnam: An Illustrated History of How Colt Brought the AR-15 to War

August 6, 2026 Ian McCollum 0

“From Hartford to Vietnam” is available here for preorder: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/hartford-to-vietnam Or you can find it bundled with “Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=3b3v8y From Hartford to Vietnam: An Illustrated History of How […]

FN Evolys: A New Ultralight Squad Automatic Weapon in 5.56mm & 7.62mm

August 5, 2026 Ian McCollum 42

FN’s new Evolys machine gun is designed to fill an interesting role not already help by either the MAG or Minimi – it is intended as an automatic rifle in the mold of the BAR […]

Vietnam Field-Made Tiger Stripe Combat Vests

August 4, 2026 Ian McCollum 0

Reserve your copy of “Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” on Kickstarter today: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=6ncf6e We are back with Owen Thornton today to talk about combat vests form Vietnam, specifically tiger stripe ones. These were not […]